Planners approve new plant

has welcomed the decision by Sheffield City Council’s planning board to approve the construction of a new renewable energy plant at Blackburn Meadows in

.

According to E.ON, construction at the site of a former coal-fired power station could start in 2009, with full commercial operation expected in 2011.

The new power station will be rated at around 25MW and will produce enough power for approximately 40,000 homes by burning recycled wood.

Dave Rogers, E.ON's regional director for climate and renewables, said: ‘Biomass power stations offer us an exciting opportunity to help combat climate change by using ‘carbon neutral' products in the place of traditional fossil fuels to generate electricity - further proof of our commitment to changing energy in the UK.’

E.ON claims the plant will displace the emission of around 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, the equivalent of taking more than 20,000 cars off the UK's roads each year, by burning recycled wood in place of traditional fossil fuels like coal and gas.

Blackburn Meadows is the second of E.ON's biomass developments in the UK, with Steven's Croft near Lockerbie in Scotland one of the UK's largest dedicated biomass power stations.